For clarification...
If my files are on my external hard drive, which is where I keep all of my original files, the filenames all start as follows...
E:\Chris\My Documents\My Music
But I keep copies of the files in a different format on my laptop for traveling. I also keep them in a different directory structure...
C:\Documents and Settings\Christopher Baber\My Documents\My Music
After some time, the library gets quite changed; new cover art added, changed ratings, etc. So, when I have time and energy, I want to reconnect the laptop library with the hard drive original files. In order to do this, I need to do a find/replace to change the second path to the first path, in order to have the library pointing to the right place.
If I forget to change the My Music folder to something else (outside of MC), it moves my files. I don't want to move anything. I just want to point my library to a different place.
The reverse is also true. When I'm done updating with the external (original) files, which sometimes I also manipulate, I need to rename from the first path to the second. Again, if I forget to disconnect the drive, I end up moving files; which is what happened last night. It starts moving the files off the hard drive and onto the laptop WITHOUT WARNING, and I have to hard kill MC and hot disconnect the hard drive to get it to stop. I think I lost a couple hundred files last night doing this. I have a second backup, so I think I can get them all back, but it takes hours, and really sucks to do.
rebootjac had a good point that renaming moves files with the entire directory structure (thanks), and I can see how that would be useful. Maybe adding this option to the move command would work. Maybe leaving it alone is the only solution. If that is the case, PLEASE give me a warning, or better yet, the OPTION to move files or break links. My biggest gripe is just that I only do this once a year or so, and always seem to forget to disassociate the files outside of MC, and end up in the same frustrated situation.
I know others have expressed frustration at this behavior as well, so I know I'm not alone here.
Again, thanks for listening and hopefully considering this.